If you read any interview with Boldy James, you’ll learn he didn’t pay school much mind because he was smart as shit. He’d gathered most of what he needed to know by the 7th grade. Mostly when people tell you that sort of story, they’re full of shit. Boldy’s confidence is warranted, though, and his swagger doesn’t seem to come at the expense of others. It’s not really even swagger; he tells it matter of fact, and backs up any assertions he makes about himself with his work on My 1st Chemistry Set. Now hit the jump to check out the review in its entirety – Spotify album stream included.

I suspect I had an immediate affinity for artist Freeway as we were born in the same year, we both have an infatuation with notorious drug trafficker “Freeway” Rick Ross (from whom Freeway’s rap moniker was derived) and I, too, once lost a freestyle battle hosted by Swiss Beatz by unanimous judges’ decision to Cassidy. Perhaps that last item is a lie; the freestyle battle I lost to Cassidy was totally unmoderated. In any case, when it comes to music reviews, I must be disregard these facts, being an honest broker between the music and the people. It turns out I still have an affinity for Freeway, and for his fourth studio album, Diamond In the Ruff, which dropped on Babygrande Records one beautiful day this past November. Hit the jump to read the full review – Spotify album stream included.

Freeway over Just Blaze? It’s like ’03 all over again! For the third–and arguably best–release from the bearded one’s forthcoming fourth solo LP, Diamond In The Ruff, the old Roc-A-Fella recruits reunite to serve up a dose of heavy-hitting, percussion-powered early ’00s-esque street rap in 2012. This knocks. You can stream the track below and blast it out the speakers ’til your heart’s content (or your speakers blow, which is more likely) from November 27 when Diamond In The Ruff drops.

If you’ve managed to get this far during the week, you probably deserve a break. And what good timing to introduce Greg Grease‘s latest video for “Forward”, a stripped down, less-is-more banger that doesn’t need to be overdramatic to get it’s point across. Directed by Adam Dunn as a part of his #LABB (Lights and a Backdrop) series, the visuals are as minimalistic as it gets, allowing the Grease, his DJ and his turntable to play centre stage. Check it out and be sure to pick up Greg Grease’s Black King Cole EP if you don’t already own it.